Aircraft seats are designed to have various reclining positions. These reclining positions are generally provided by a recline cable that activates the seat's recline hydraulic actuator. The cable is a part of a cable system that includes a push button, a cable, a spring, and an actuator head. When the passenger presses the push button, the cable is pulled, which lowers the actuator head. Lowering of the actuator head presses the release on the hydraulic actuator. After the push button is pressed, the spring installed under the actuator head returns the actuator head to its original position. Upon pressing the release on the hydraulic actuator, the passenger is able to recline his/her seat, or return it to the upright position. An example of such an actuator head is shown in FIG. 2, and its position in a seat is shown in FIG. 18.
The ability to recline a passenger seat greatly enhances passenger comfort, particularly on longer flights or in economy seats, where space is limited. However, it is also important that the seat can reliably move to its upright position for taxi, take-off, and landing in order to comply with aviation safety regulations.
One problem with existing seat designs is that when the button is pressed and the actuator head is moved, the cable can possibly be dislodged from the actuator head. If the cable becomes dislodged, the push button will be rendered incapable of activating the actuator head. In this instance, the passenger can no longer recline the seat, nor return the seat to the original upright position. This can create a safety concern as well as a regulation hazard if the seat becomes stuck in the reclined position. This can also result in maintenance delays for the aircraft, which can increase airline expenses.
Other components that secure or hold cables in place may experience similar slippage or dislodging. For example, a fiber optic cable may need to be secured in place. Other cables may be secured in an open-ended receiving component and held in place or otherwise secured only by friction.
There may be other instances when it is desirable to guard a cable or otherwise provide a cap to protect or shield a cable from environmental conditions or hazards, such as corrosion, temperatures, or other factors. There may be other instances when it is desirable to provide a shield for a cable to protect others in the vicinity of the cable. Such cables would benefit from the cable retention unit described herein.